Description: Beyond the occasional 'get out of my room's, Kenji really hasn't had a great opportunity to get to know his bunkmate, Luc Schroedinger. After a brief altercation gone awry... he still doesn't. But he gets a chance to show the angry German he's not quite as useless as Luc had made him out to be...
The Suiryuu.
A ship full of mysticyism, wonder, and probably the greatest pains in the ass that Kenji Ashima has ever had to deal with in his brief lifetime. His bout with Sada was the most recent display of this, the pair fighting atop the semi that had been railed into the side of the ship, the stories of the invaders and people sneaking into the ship... and having one of the loudest, most annoying roommates of all time. It's enough to drive a man crazy, and he's thanked the good lord above every day that he at least has Tenma and Hakuya to blame for this.
Because logically, it has to be the fault of his best friends.
Sitting at the wet bar of all places, he alternates his attention between reading a textbook left upon his lap and the tall glass of cranberry juice. History, it looks like, and he's gotta read the Sengoku period-- it really is his favorite.
Ears plugged with the MP3 player hidden in his pocket and his attention taken away to more academic pursuits with his work, the young man once again finds himself in a place he's all too familiar with... a place he's all too wary of.
That happy place, right before someone ruins it.
Closing his book with a firm smack of cover to cover, the student council secretary of Gedo High tightens his jaw. "I should go see what Kasugano's doing," he mutters quietly to himself.
A ship with more secrets than explanations; to the curious, a place with more questions than answers. People of the calibre of 'R' itself interested in the ship, along with assorted, less important hooligans -- is it no wonder why some people who joined this tournament might be concerned? Maybe even -worried-? Certainly, the last few weeks have been something of an adventure beyond any normal tournament. Many have been searching for the answers. Yet, with all the mystique and worrisome events that have been going on, there are some who simply don't care...
...which brings us to Luc Schroedinger.
Luc has never been much of an investigative soul. He's never wondered how things worked, pondered over the secret meanings of events he sometimes didn't understand. Such things, for him, are boring. As such? The German is currently -very bored-. He's been occupying much of his time training, as of late, and generally avoiding going to his room where he has no doubt his worthless bunkmate is staying, doing nothing but -- well -- being useless. Most of the time, Luc has been spending his time -outside- on the exostructure of the boat, spending much of it by himself. Training his body, and not necessarily his mind.
He's a very single-minded individual.
Inevitably, though, this brings him towards the need to take a break, even with his considerable stamina. Time to relax and catch his breath, before he goes at it again. The need to take some sort of break has taken Luc to the very wet bar that Kenji now works at. Sheer coincidence brings him to the place that his roommate is located; the sound of his footsteps approaching grow louder and louder until the Pacific delinquent is standing right outside the door, green eyes sweeping the room with a look of barely-concealed irritability, a frown sweeping across his lips. His gaze falls on Kenji. His frown deepens.
"... Hey. You." He'd say Kenji's name, if he ever bothered to learn it. "Get out of here." It doesn't seem to be a request. Man. Why do the losers have to pollute -his- rest spots?
He can't hear the steps with the sounds of the music blaring in his ears, but he knows the style of those steps-- the footfalls, the weight and something else he can just -feel-, like some sort of aura or a tangible prickle on the back of his neck. Like the nicknamed sixth sense of comic book heroes, it's a signal that danger is near.
His roommate.
He thinks back on the first day they had met. Kenji had bowed politely and offered his hand, introducing himself by name and trying to be the best roommate he could be. He's stayed quiet, he's given the Pacific student plenty of space, and...
Well, he's an ass too.
His one good arm lowers to his pocket, pulling out the small apple red player and pressing down hard on the pause button. Reaching up to pull out his earplugs, the small bundle is set on the textbook on his lap, taking a sip of the juice still sitting on the wet bar. Fully aware of Luc's presence, he makes a point of -ignoring- him. The music blocked his ability to hear what was said, but he really doesn't need to hear what he already knows was said.
"You kick me out of the room, you tell me to go away when I'm on the deck. Could you make up your mind already?"
It's the problem with people like Luc. With rare exceptions, no matter how nice you are--
"Isn't it obvious? I just don't want to be in the same area as someone as sad as you."
--it's never enough to keep them from -not- being the people that they are.
Hands shoved into deep into his pockets, Luc's expression is the shining definition of somber; his lips pulled into a thin line, Luc stares at Kenji with dull, unamused eyes. A slow roll of his neck issues an unpleasant cracking sound before Luc steps -forward- once, making his intent to stay clear. Whatever the thousands of reasons, it seems Luc is in a particularly bad mood. And that never bodes well.
"Are you stupid? Do you have some sort of mental problem?" he questions unpleasantly, his words dripping with dislike. "I don't need someone worthless like you anywhere near me. You annoy me. Understand?" It seems Luc doesn't believe Kenji -will- understand and so, in response, those green eyes narrow, a deep frown etching across his lips.
"Get out, or I'll -make you- get out. Ass."
in another time, and in another place, Kenji would've just slammed down both his feet and punched Luc right in the face. With any luck, he'd have a glass jaw and be down on his back with his eyes crossed for a few hours, too. But those were his days growing up in Osaka, when he was still in middle school-- and if he's someone on this boat, he's clearly nobody that's so easy to beat.
But as nice as Kenji has gotten, as soft as he may seem now, the young Gedo student is not without a spine-- perhaps this trip has given him that much since getting on. "I tell you what."
Setting his textbook on the bar and shuffling off of the stool, the young man with his bandaged arm in a sling walks without an ounce of hesitation up to the taller, angrier German and stands... well, if he were a little taller, it would almost be nose-to-nose. "I'm not afraid of you, I've been trying to be very nice to you, and I am only going to say this once and -only- once: Go find somewhere else to growl and look angry or sit down, shut up, have something to drink, and let me finish reading. I'm really, really getting sick of all the crap you guys keep tossing."
Luc Schroedinger stands in what could be perceived to be a relaxed posture. His hands slipped into his pockets, shoulders a bit slouched, he is, for all intents and purposes, just running his mouth like an idiot. It's something most people think he does, and on some occasions, they're right. But -- let it never be said Luc never makes good on his word.
As Kenji makes his brilliant stand, speaks his speech to Luc, the German says nothing. Eyes half-lidding, his right hand slips out of his pocket, index finger scratching idly at his ear. "..." Pulling his hand away and flicking away errant wax, those green eyes once more focus on Kenji, that deep frown creasing the delinquent's lips. "Blah, blah, blah... you done?" He'll pause, wait for a reply. And then...
He slings that free fist forward in a sudden, vicious right hook, his entire hand and arm suddenly flaring with an undulating surge of black-blue fire.
He did make it clear what the alternative was.
"Idiots with their retarded speeches..."
COMBATSYS: Luc has started a fight here.
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Luc 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Kenji has joined the fight here.
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Luc 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Kenji
COMBATSYS: Kenji just-defends Luc's Medium Punch!
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Luc 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Kenji
"Yeah, I'm done."
And then the fist flies at his face, the black-blue flames burning on his fist in whatever heathen ritual used to summon up that kind of force. There's a meaty smack, an impact of flesh on flesh-- but not in the way that Luc was intending, chances are. Kenji has a firm grip around the Pacific student's wrist with his one good hand, eyes unblinking. "C'mon, man, my -sister- swings harder."
Twisting Luc's arm out, to the side, Kenji's left foot twists to the side while his right leg whips around in a crushing arc, his kick high enough to crack across the taller teenager's temple and ring his bells a little bit. It has enough speed to move fast, enough power to hurt, and enough velocity to spin him around to face Luc once again, hit or miss.
COMBATSYS: Luc endures Kenji's Roundhouse Reel.
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Luc 0/-------/------=|=------\-------\0 Kenji
With the crackle of chi, Luc flings out his right fist in a vicious hook.
In the same instant, Kenji is gripping Luc's wrist -- holding him secure.
"... heh."
For a moment, dour irritability is replaced on Luc's lips and eyes with excitement, the look of a person who sees a good opportunity. Anticipation. It's quickly gone at Kenji's words, however, leaving only a grim, thoughtful stare in its place. "You think you're tough? Well... c'mon."
Kenji swings around, intent on driving that leg into Luc's head. Schroedinger, however, moves -into- the strike, letting it impact SOLIDLY against the side of his head. In that very moment, a wide, unstable grin splits across his lips, eyes snapping open fully.
"LET'S SEE HOW TOUGH YOU ARE!!"
Even as that kick hits him, Luc is -still moving forward-, his right hand snaking out in a flurry of motion with intent to grab Kenji by the head. In that same moment, he'll lift the Gedo student into the air with surprising ease, before twisting -around- an entire one hundred and eighty degrees and SLAMMING the young man into the ground... followed by a sudden, crackling -surge- of black-blue chi, intent on channelling it all directly into Kenji's body with an explosive burst. "GRAAAAAAAGH!!"
COMBATSYS: Luc successfully hits Kenji with Raving Slam.
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Luc 0/-------/----===|===----\-------\0 Kenji
There's a brief stare in his eye when Luc shrugs off the kick-- or more steps into it, even-- but he doesn't let himself get too horribly surprised. Far too used to seeing his attacks crushed or defeated in the course of battle even before he came to this particular corner of Japan, Kenji handles it in stride-- although that stride includes Luc's hand grabbing his face, lifting him like a rag doll, and being introduced to the floor of the promenade deck with a hefty crash.
The noise after the force of the burst-- Kenji's voice, letting out a muffled gasp of pain-- is muffled by the hand holding him down. His fingers snake around the solid wrist that holds him again, pushing off with both feet and -throwing- his weight backwards, his knees flipping over his chin and pulling the hand away from his head. The Gedo student rolls from his shoulder to his feet, stumbling a step and supporting his weight with one hand. Kenji pushes off in the next instant, gritting his teeth and looking down at his hand. Punching the air inches above the floor, his voice carries in a manner Luc may have a hard time topping right now:
"HYYYYYYYYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH--"
If Luc's energy manifests as fire, Kenji's burns like magnesium-- the brightness is white-hot, the twinges of blue being the only color to enhance the display rather than temper it, the cabin lighting up like it's day all over in the indoors. The light burns up the length of his good arm until it reaches his shoulder-- and then with an odd burst, it trumpets a bit-- and surges outward, the simple 'sheath' becoming a roaring blaze all of it's own. It takes the generator by surprise too, Kenji straightening up and staring at his arm. Not only was it easier this time, it ... felt like something else happened. Fist clenched tightly and lips pulling into a flat line, the power dies down and burns out with a brief burst of light, the cabin returning to the normal amount of illumination.
There's no angry expression now, but a rather friendly grin. "Hey, win or lose, I still need to get my textbook before I leave, later. Is that okay?"
COMBATSYS: Kenji gathers his will.
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Luc 0/-------/----===|=======\-------\0 Kenji
The burning doesn't last long. The technique Luc uses on Kenji isn't meant to be sustained for an indefinite length of time. Despite all his ignorance in most other things, Luc has a great talent for fighting. Instinct tells him exactly when to release, even when Kenji seeks to pry off his hands; he'll find Luc is more than happy to comply. Those long fingers snap -backwards- and away from Kenji in a blur of speed, lowering his body in the same instant in preparation for what, Luc assumes, will be a continuation of the match. A reprisal to his strike. Instead...
... instead, Kenji is chargin' his lazur.
As the Japanese boy chooses not to press the attack, Luc at first gives a hard, surprisingly -angry- stare at the boy. But then, then there's that yell, carrying high through the air in a sudden piercing screech accentuated by the sudden burst of chi across Kenji's body. It causes the German teen to blink, and then -squint-, brows furrowed as he looks at his opponent with a frown.
"... ... what the fuck?"
It's not a question he expects an answer to. Black fires lick across his hands, wreathed in blue as he looks behind him, towards Kenji's book. "... You want that back? Fine."
The grin on Luc's face should prove he has nothing but ill intentions for Kenji's textbook, but if that's not enough of a hint, a moment later the German is snapping -backwards- with a jerk of motion, taking a solid grip onto the his opponent's book. Without a second's thought, Luc twists -back- and -flings- the book forward like a miniature missile of paper and hardcover, seeking to bean poor Kenji with it while snapping back into a ready stance.
"You can -HAVE IT-."
COMBATSYS: Kenji blocks Luc's Thrown Object.
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Luc 0/-------/----===|=======\-------\1 Kenji
Charged, ready, and-- the power seems to be gone as quick as it came. The grin Kenji wears is kind and friendly, even in the face of the angry and vulgar retort thrown his way by Luc. The shorter Japanese boy's eyes widen as his textbook, MP3 player and all, sails toward him and he's forced to catch it. He does so succesfully, but the book bashes against the left arm still in a sling, his jaw tightening up and fingers clamping down across the book's surface. "Ow ow ow ow ow..."
Setting the book-- and player-- to the side, he arches back his fingers and presses his knuckles against his hip, cracking the digits in a swift sequence.
Charging in, Kenji's lithe frame moves like the crack of a whip. Leaning in, ducking to one side-- and then his right arm comes up in what looks like an arc, his arm bending like it were made of rubber, but his fist aiming to slug Luc right in the nose. And for all his joy and retort, it may come to dawn upon the German youth that his fist is about as hard as a sledgehammer.
COMBATSYS: Luc endures Kenji's Missile Fist.
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Luc 0/-------/--=====|=======\-------\1 Kenji
As much force as Kenji might bring to bear with his strikes, it's painfully obvious that Schroedinger is a different sort of fighter than the other teen might be used to: utterly, completely reckless.
For as fast as Kenji might be moving, it doesn't really stop Luc from bursting forward -towards- him in a violent surge of speed that blurrs him into an array of white and black. He does not stop, shows no sign of giving any ground even as that fist swings down to strike. It SLAMS into him, knocking Luc's head backwards for a brief moment. A small trickle of blood slowly oozes from the corner of Luc's nose.
And he laughs.
"HAHAHAA!! HIT HARDER! MAKE THIS -INTERESTING-!!" Even as he roars out this demand, Schroedinger is already -slinging- himself forward like a rocket, his right hand slamming itself straight into Kenji in an attempted haymaker to the face. While this carries itself like a sledgehammer, it is followed -- the moment it connects -- by a sudden surge of black-blue fire, slamming FORWARD into Kenji's face like a battering ram set to explode upon impact. His hand retracts, and Luc leaps backwards -- flipping through the air, with every intent of driving his shoes into Kenji's chin in a flipping kick as he goes. "HRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!!"
COMBATSYS: Luc successfully hits Kenji with Riot Revolver.
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Luc 0/-------/-======|=======\===----\1 Kenji
Kenji grits his teeth-- and his face tenses on the punch, head snapping back once-- and then a second time as feet are driven into his chin and sending him sprawling backwards. His balance isn't all there-- so he ends up going right onto his back, stunned for a moment by both kicks and impact. "Keh..." he sputters, sitting himself up and turning sideways to get up onto his knee without the use of his arm.
Ducking to one side and moving ahead with a two-step dash, the Gedo brawler ducks left, then ducks right. It looks almost like the movements used by a boxer, albeit bastardized to suit his tastes-- and then he reaches out with his one good arm and tries to hook it around the back of Luc's knee... and -drag- Luc's entire body out from under him, and running a little further toward the center of the deck for good measure.
"Girls don't like masochists!!"
COMBATSYS: Luc interrupts Strong Throw from Kenji with Tyrant Strike.
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Luc 0/-------/=======|=======\======-\1 Kenji
Girls don't... what?
"What the hell are you talking about..." Luc growls as Kenji ducks for him. Though his landing is a little shaky, and his recovery is slow -- evidence of how much effort he put into that attack -- he can still perfectly see the Japanese boy's advance, tracking his movements with the darting of green eyes. Too slow... too slow! Kenji reaches out, takes out Luc's body from underneath him. But as Luc falls...
... Kenji might experience the feeling of a shoe-clad foot SLAMMING itself into his chin.
"... WHAT DO I CARE WHAT GIRLS THINK?! ASS!!"
Twisting through the air, Luc performs a spinning kick just as he falls, recovering himself with remarkable skill. Black fire swirls around his leg in a spiral, and at the moment it connects... all that energy surges -forward-, engulfing Kenji in an explosive, miniature tidal wave of power meant to send him rocking backwards the moment that Luc hits the ground. He strikes in a roll, coming to a relatively harmless crouch feet from his opponent... frowning angrily. Girls. Always have to talk about girls.
"Just -shut up- and -fight-."
It went pretty well-- right up until the part where he gets hit. Kenji lets out an angry "gak!" as the foot buries itself in his chin, but the young man isn't going to give up just y--
Oh god, the burning.
Thrown backwards, he flops back and hits the floor. Tumbling head over heels for a moment, Kenji's arm thrusts out as a pivot and gives him enough of a point to handspring from to land back on his feet, catching his breath in a deep gasp. "Khh--"
The Gedo student digs in and charges ahead at Luc, his right leg sweeping up into the air and -stomping- down at the fellow student's stomach. If his foot makes contact, Kenji's eyebrows run together. "HYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA--"
And then a burst goes off, an odd one-- one that's better said to be -inside- Luc, designed to rattle his innards and whatever he may have had for breakfast and lunch.
COMBATSYS: Luc endures Kenji's Rib Crusher.
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Luc 1/-----==/=======|=======\======-\1 Kenji
Kenji just keeps coming. Luc can at least appreciate that much; his roommate has a lot of endurance, if nothing else. Of course, it doesn't change the fact that Schroedinger is just going to keep relentlessly -coming at- Kenji over, and over again until he's dead. Case in point--
As Kenji comes rushing in towards Luc once more, the German's response is simple. He just -doesn't move-. A massive grin paints his lips as a small trail of blood brushes just above it, dripping from his nose -- his only apparent injury thus far. Kenji stomps that foot into Luc's stomach... and he just does not move an inch. "Shut..."
And then that rattling burst of interior chi goes off like an internalized explosion, with enough concussive force to send Luc reeling back. But he doesn't just reel... he flies, using the momentum to propel himself off the ground and through the air. He twists, inverting in mid-flight. As he does, Kenji might note, the crackle of black electricity in his right palm.
"-UP-!!"
In that very second, Luc simply unleashes that energy, a miniature spear of black power, straight into the ground. It impacts at the ground beneath Kenji's feet... and then absorbs itself into the flooring, disappearing. Silence for a few seconds, as Luc soars, before, just as suddenly... a MASSIVE lance of churning, undulating black-blue energy swells and BURSTS from the ground beneath Kenji, seeking to consume him and EXPLODE in a massive burst of power, to knock him far and away.
COMBATSYS: Luc successfully hits Kenji with Uberlastung Lanze.
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Luc 0/-------/-----==|>>>>>>>\>>>>>>>\2 Kenji
Black electricity-- wasn't it fire before?! His eyes widen, his body tenses. No, he can't let him do it like that, it'd be really bad... and just think of the damage he'd cause to the rest of the ship!
Running forwards, the Gedo student brings up his arms in an unconscious reaction, the dark energy consuming him and eating him right up-- and then the explosion. Kenji disappears, but a distinct, "Guuhaagh!!" is heard from within.
But he doesn't go backward.
Bursting out of the blackness with trails of that same darkness bleeding away from his clothes and rustling away like smoke hanging in the air, the Gedo student emerges like a massive human projectile come to meet Luc in the air. He whips around in flight in a manner not unlike the precursor to the grand attack thrown at him moments ago, but this is entirely different-- with eyes like that of a caged animal, with the posture of someone that's been through a lot more than a dopey kid from Gedo should claim. His good arm draws back as he nears Luc, and Kenji Ashima is going to give the crazy man exactly what he wants:
He's going to hit him as hard as he can.
This punch is much angrier than the others he's thrown, too-- with brute force alone, it could crack ribs and has the potential to throw Luc all the way across the deck and into whatever the nearest wall is.
COMBATSYS: Kenji can no longer fight.
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Luc 0/-------/-----==|
COMBATSYS: Luc blocks Kenji's Missile Fist Ashima.
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Luc 0/-------/---====|
Land in a crouch, Luc swiftly thrusts himself airwards once more in a spring, landing a few feet away with a slide and a pant. Black-blue electricity, fire... how it manifests depends entirely on how Luc wills it to, and that is just an example of the depths of innate control he has over the chi in his body. Electricity of black, wreathed in dark blue, crackles around Luc's shirt, his fists, his arms as he comes to a complete stand...
... just in time to see Kenji barreling at him.
Green eyes press into a squint as the Japanese boy barrels at him. Luc's legs spread in preparation, his body bracing for the inevitable impact. Luckily, thanks to his own brutal attack and the amount of damage Kenji has sustained, he still comes slowly. Slow enough to see, to track. And as that fist swings forward...
... Kenji will find forearms there to negate the incoming damage entirely.
Looking completely placid even as all that immense kinetic force is channeled into his own arms, numbing them and applying such battering force that Luc is forcefully -slid- backwards across the ship grounds, the German still holds his ground... and does not fall. Even as Kenji might, Luc stands tall, giving a frown as his hands shove into his pockets.
"... hmph," grunting, the German turns his back to Kenji. Perhaps a rude gesture, but it's clear he doesn't really care. "Maaaaan... you're not nearly strong enough to come close to beating me, you shithead. Go do your nerdy studying, or whatever. You've ruined my mood." Luc will walk away at this point. To where? Who knows. But his battle lust has been sated for today, at least -- even if he doesn't even look remotely pleased.
"Stupid, who the hell talks about girls during a fight. Jackass."
COMBATSYS: Luc takes no action.
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Luc 0/-------/---====|
COMBATSYS: Luc has ended the fight here.
Even as his fist has struck, even as Luc slides back, Kenji drops like a rag doll to the floor of the promenade deck. Face-up and breathing hard, he stretches his arm out to his side and stares at the ceiling, listening unintentionally as Luc starts to rant, froth, and rage on about him. Laid there, in a pose he's found himself so familiar with, Kenji brings his hand to his mouth and chews on his thumbnail, apparently deep in thought.
"There has to be a reason why this has been happenin' to me since I stepped on this boat. Maybe it's my arm? No... and somethin's different now. Maybe I have to start being a pottymouth like the rest of them? It seems like the Oarsman gains super powers from cussing out whoever he's going to hit next."
Mumbling on like this for a little while, he claws around for his MP3 player, sliding the plugs in his ears and turning it on. Loud, fast music fills his ears while he continues to stare at the ceiling and think, arm thrown out to the side and looking like floor decoration. Hey, maybe he'll get lucky and Kasugano will come by again in a swimsuit.
Naah. He couldn't ever be -that- lucky.
Log created on 22:26:13 10/03/2007 by Luc, and last modified on 14:24:00 10/06/2007.